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Swoon in New Orleans: The Music Box—A Shantytown Sound Laboratory

We wrote earlier this year about Swoon's various projects in New Orleans, and Swoon and various collaborators debut the The Music Box on October 22nd to coincide with Prospect 2, New Orleans’ art biennale. The Music Box is an interactive installation of purpose-built shacks and miniature houses made out of New Orleans’ beautiful architectural details and plentiful salvaged materials; built into in each structure is an invented instrument created by a sound artist.

The Music Box is open through December 10 with two more performances scheduled, on November 19 and December 10.

Here is a full press release rundown of the Music Box:

Visitors can interact with this musical shantytown’s singing walls, heartbeat-triggered percussion machine, organ staircase and weather sensitive oscillators. Three monthly live performances are bringing together stellar groups of local and international musicians to play orchestrated works on these “instruments.” Quintron, the musician and local legend, conducts this experimental shantytown orchestra.

The Music Box is an important and exciting prelude to the building of Dithyrambalina, an interactive sound sculpture in the form of a permanent three-story house. This project is being led by the influential street artist Swoon, who is known for her community-driven collaborative endeavors. Swoon has designed the house, but will rely on collaborating artists to bring the Dithyrambalina to life.